The Fattest and the Fittest Cities in the U.S

The findings of a new study by the Gallup concluded that the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metropolitan area, which straddles West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio were counted among the most obese communities in the U.S. for the fifth time in all six years Boulder is named the slimmest of all.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Boulder continues to have the lowest rate of obesity in the nation at 12.4%. It has the lowest obesity rate almost every year since Gallup and Healthways kicked off in 2008 (except 2009). In the year 2012-2013, the people of Huntington-Ashland were supposed to be most obese at 39.5%. This area has been found to be the most obese area in the US by the Gallup study.

39.5% of the residents in the area that includes those of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio are overweight, while 38.3% of the residents of McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 36.7% of Maryland and West Virginia are reported to be obese.

On the other hand, Boulder, Colo is the city with least number of people suffering from the obesity problem. As per the survey, this community has only 12.4% of its total population suffering from obesity.

Naples-Marco Island has only 16.5% of obese population and Fort Collins-Loveland has 18.2% obese population. Out of the last six surveys that were conducted by Gallup and the Healthways group, Boulder community has recorded the lowest obesity rate among five of them since 2008. At the same time in the last six years, the highest obesity rate was recorded at 27.15 last year among the US residents.

Among the large communities having population more than 1 million, Memphis had the highest rate of obesity i.e. 31.9%, whereas San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos and Denver-Aurora tied for the lowest rate at 19.3%.

For all large communities, the average obesity rate was 25.7%, which was almost 2 points below national average. Findings suggest that residents in smaller communities are more obese than those in larger communities.